Staples has announced that it will be opening its first west coast office dedicated to e-commerce and engineering in the coming months. The Development Center in Seattle, WA, will house teams responsible for driving major initiatives to enhance areas including next generation digital platforms, personalization and big data, the company said.

“Staples is changing the way customers shop online,” said Faisal Masud, executive vice president, global e-commerce, Staples. “Seattle is an innovation hub rivaling Silicon Valley and features some of the world’s biggest technology companies. Staples new Development Center will allow us to tap into the wide range of talented engineering and e-commerce professionals on the West Coast.”

Staples, which claims to be the world's second largest internet retailer, is adding software development, product management, usability, analytics and online merchandising positions as it continues to invest in omnichannel capabilities that let customers shop however and whenever they want, across mobile devices, desktops and stores. According to published reports, the company recently announced a new omnichannel store format and is currently working on several new e-commerce and mobile commerce initiatives.

“Staples is investing in areas with high concentrations of the e-commerce and engineering talent that will be key to our success,” said Prakash Muppirala, vice president, e-commerce engineering, Staples. “We will build integrated, collaborative teams with the goal of making the shopping experience easy.”